Power beam tread brake arrangement



0eru zz, 1963 F. E. BACHMAN POWER BEAM TREAD BRAKE ARRANGEMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed ont. 19. 1961 INVENToR. Q/effi acncu/ BUI/fa @4MM 0QA.

Oct. 22, 1 963 F. E.' BAcHMAN POWER BEAM TREAD BRA-KE ARRANGEMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed O Ot. 19. 1961 INVENTOR.

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Oct. 22, 1963 F. E. BACHMAN POWER BEAM TREAD BRAKE ARRANGEMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 19. 1961 NN m .QU ww 1 WWII: ,/l I RMN: @J I l Il +|I||J |||I||| Oct. 22, 1963 F. EpBAcHMAN 3,107,754

POWER BEAM TREAD BRAKE ARRANGEMENT Filed oct. 19, 1951 s sheets-sheet 4 @o .e0 N

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F. E. BCHMAN POWER BEAM TREAD BRAKE ARRANGEMENT Oct. 22, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 19. v1961 United States Patent 3,tl7,754 POWE i BEAM TREAD BRAKE ANGEMEN'E Fred E. Bathmen, St. Louis, Mc., assigner to Amsted Industries incorporated, Chicago, Eil., a corporation ot New Jersey Filed Get. i9, 1961, Ser. No. 146,15@ S Claims. (El. 18S-222.6)

This invention relates to brake rigging for railway cars and more particularly to a wheel tread brake rigging for use on a four wheel railway car truck.

Heretofore, tread brake rigging was designed for use to frictionally engage cast iron brake shoes against wheel treads. Due to the relatively low coeiiicient of friction of conventional cast iron brake shoes, it was necessary to design brake rigging adapted to exert a relatively high braking force to the shoes.

During recent years, composition brake shoes have been adapted for use on tread brake rigging provided on certain types of railway car trucks. As the coeicient of Jfriction or" a composition -brake shoe is substantially higher than the coefficient of friction of a cast iron brake shoe, it will be appreciated that a composition brake shoe requires less braking force to decelerate a wheel and axle assembly.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a relatively light-weight tread brake rigging particularly adapted for use with composition brake shoes.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision 'of a tread brake rigging comprising two brake beams arnanged on opposite sides of a bolster yand provided adjacent their ends with brake shoes to frictionally engage their respective wheels of a four wheel railway car truck.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a tread brake rigging in which a power cylinder is mounted on each brake beam to act through a bell crank lever and connecting rod to move the brake beams apart toward their respective wheel and axle assemblies to engage the brake shoes against their respective wheel treads.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a tread brake rigging comprising identical cast metal brake beams having brake heads and guide lugs integral therewith, each beam embodying means adjacent one end thereof to enclose and support a power cylinder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tread brake rigging embodying a relatively simple, inexpensive hand brake arrangement for actuating the brake beams.

The invention embodies other novel features, details of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, wherein:

FIGURE l is a plan view illustrating a four wheel railway car truck provided with a power beam tread brake arrangement embodying features of the invention;

`FIGURE 2 is a side elevation illustrating the truck structure shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is `an end elevation showing the truck structure;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view illustrating the brake beam;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of the brake beam;

FIGURE 6 is an end elevation `of the brake beam;

FIGURES 7 and 8 are transverse sections taken along the lines 7-7 and 8"-8 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURES 9 and l0 are transverse sections taken along 4 the lines 9 9 and iti-iti of FIGURE 5;

IFIGURE ll is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a modified form of the invention;

FlGURE l2 is a side elevation illustrating the structure shown in FIGURE ll;

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FIGURE 13 is a trans-verse section taken along the line lli-i3 of FIGURE 12;

lFIGURE 14 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, the power beam tread Vbrake arrangement is shown as applied to a four wheel railway car truck comprising side frames 2 supported at their ends upon wheel and axle assemblies 3 journaled in journal boxs 4 engaged between pedestal jaws `6. Each side fra-me is vformed with tension and compression members 7 and 8 and spaced columns 9 defining an opening 11 to receive an end of a bolster i2 provided to inter-connect the side frames and to support a car body pivotally mounted thereon. The bolster is resiliently supported at its ends upon spring groups 13 seated on the tension member 7.

Each side frame Z is provided on its finboard side and adjacent the lower ends of the columns with'brake beam guide tmembers i4 having slots 16 inclined upwardly toward the axis of rotation of their respective wheel and axle assemblies 3 to receive guide lugs 15 formed on the ends oi brake beams 17 and d8. To Ifacilitate and reduce the cost of manufacture, the brake beams 17 and 18 are preferably identical, each being in the for-m of a onepiece metal casting.

Each lbrake beam is shown as comprising vertically spaced upper and lower webs i9' and 21 converging at their ends and merging with longitudinally extending webs 22 and 23 which, in turn, merge at their outer ends with brake heads 24 and the 'guide lugs 15. A back reinforcing iiange 26 extends along the webs i9', 21, 22 and 213 and merges at its ends with the guide lugs 15. A front reinforcing flange 27 extends along the webs 19, 2.1, 22 and 23 and merges at its ends with the brake heads 24. As illustrated in FIGURE 4, the back flange 26 is substantially straight, while the front iiange 27 is curved to provide a brake bea-m fof gradually decreasing width from its center toward its ends.

Each brake head 24 is shown as comprising an arcuate front wall 2S which merges with la vertical rear wall 29, the front `[lange Z7, and its respective guide lug d5. Toe lugs 31 and 32 and spaced intermediate lugs 33 and 34 are formed on the front wall 28 to receive a brake shoe 35 adapted to be detachably connected to the lugs by a conventional key 37 which extends through slots 38 in the lugs.

A transverse wall 39 extends vertically between the upper and lower webs "19 and 21 of the brake beam land is formed Iwith a central opening 4l. and stud holes 42.

A pneumatic power device 43 of fthe type now manu-V `factured and sold by Bendix-Westinghouse Air Brake Company, under the trademark Rotorchamber is secured against the inboard side of the transverse wall 39 by means of studs and nuts 44. The power device comprises a llexible diaphragm 4d secured at its outer periphery to the cylinder 45 and secured at its inner periphery to piston 46 mounted on the inner end of a piston rod 47 which projects through the opening 4l and is pivotally connected to one arm 48 of a bell crank lever 492 A compression spring 51 is mounted in the cylinder 43 to yieldably resist movement of the piston 46.

The brake beam is formed with upper and lower bearing bosses S2 and 53 projecting toward each other from the upper and lower webs i9 and Ztl, respectively. The crank lever 49 is pivotally mounted between the houses 52 and 53 by means of a pivot pin 54. The other arm S6 of the bell crank lever 49 is pivotally connected at 57 to one end of a push rod Si?, which is pivotally connected at 5.9 to a boss 61 formed on the companion brake beam.Y

t will be notedl that the two brake beam assemblies thus shown and described are identical in construction 3 to reduce lthe cost of manufacture and to facilitate replacement of parts.

In operation, uid under pressure is directed from a suitable source through a conduit 62 to the brake cylinders 43 to cause the piston rods 47 to 'pivot the bell crank levers 49 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 1. The levers 49 act through their respective push rods 58 to move the brake bearns i7 and i3 toward their respective wheel and axle assemblies 3 to engage the brake shoes 36 against the tread surface 63 of their respective wheels 64. The brake beams -17 and iS are moved toward each other to their retracted positions by means of the compression springs -1 provided in the cylinders 43 to engage and move their respective pistons 46 rearwardly upon a decrease in iiuid pressure in the conduit 62.

The brake arrangement is provided with a hand brake rigging which is shown as comprising identical brackets 66 and 67 secured by rivets to the webs 22 of their respective brake beams 17 and 13. Brake levers 63 and 69 are pivotally connected to their respective brackets 66 and 67 and are connected to each other intermediate their ends by a connecting rod 71 which extends through an opening 72 in the bolster. The upper end of the brake lever 69 is pivotally connected to an adjustment link 73 formed with a plurality of holes 7 i to receive a pivot pin 76.

The adjustment link 73 is shown as formed from a length of strip steel bent intermediate its ends to provide spaced parallel arms 77 to straddle the upper end of the lever 69. The ends or the arms 77 are pivotally connected at 7s to a bracket 79 secured to the bolster 12. The hand brake rigging is adapted to be actuated by a conventional manual operating means connected at 3i to the upper end of the brake lever GS.

FIGURES 1i, l2 and 13 illustrate another embodiment of the invention in which the brake beam 8i is shown as comprising a flange 82 extending rearwardly from the vertical transverse wall 33 and extending between the upper and lower webs 8d and $6. Vertically spaced ybosses 87 are formed on the ange i2 and project laterally toward the adjacent end of the beam. A bell crank lever 8S is disposed between the bosses 87 yand pivotally connected thereto by a pivot pin 89, one arm of the lever being operatively connected to t xe power device d3 mounted on the wall 33. This embodiment of the invention is otherwise similar to the form heretofore shown and described.

FIGURE 14 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which the brake arrangement is shown as comprising two truss type bnake beams 91 and 92. Each brake beam is preferably in the form Vof a one-pieceV metal casting having tension and compression members 93 and 94 interconnected by a strut 96, said members converging toward and merging at their outer ends with brake heads 97 and guide lugs 9S having brake shoes 99 thereon to frictionally engage their respective wheels 64'.

The guide lugs 9 fare slidably mounted on guide menibers 14 provided on the side frames 2 for radial movement toward the laxes of rotation of their respective wheel and axle assemblies 3.

Each brake beam is provided with a vertical wall li extending transversely between the tension and compression members 93 and 94. A power device N2 is secured to the wall 161 of each brake beam between the tension and compression members and provided with a piston rod 103 which extends Ithrough an opening idd in the wall. The piston rod 47 is pivotally connected at lit to `a bell crank lever 107 mounted at w3 for pivotal movement on a bracket N9 provided on the compression member 94. rhe lever 167 is pivotally connected at 'til to one end or" a push rod 112 which is pivotally connected at 1i?. to the companion brake beam. This form of the invention is otherwise similar to the embodiments heretofore shown and described.

I claim:

l. A railway truck brake beam comprising upper and lower webs defining a trans-verse opening adjacent one end of the beam, coplanar webs merging with and interconnected by said upper an'd lower webs, front and rear reinforcing flanges extending along the front and rear edges of said webs and converging from the center of the beam toward the ends thereof.

2. A railway truck brake beam comprising upper and lower webs deiining a tranverse opening adjacent one end of the beam, coplanar webs merging with and interconnected by said upper and lower webs, front and rear reinforcing iianges extending along the front and rear edges `of said webs and :converging from the center of the Ibeam toward the ends thereof, and guide lugs on remote ends of said coplanar webs.

3. A railway truck brake beam comprising upper and lower webs dening a tranverse opening adjacent one end of the beam, coplanar webs merging with and interconnected Vby said upper and lower webs, front and rear reinforcing anges extending along the front and rear edges of said webs and converging from the center of the beam toward the ends thereof, and brake headsrprojecting forwardly from remote ends of said coplanar webs.

4. A railway truck brake beam comprising upper and lower webs ydefining a transverse `opening adjacent one end of the beam, coplanar webs merging with and interconnected by said upper and lower webs, front and rear reinforcing iianges extending along the front and rear edges of said webs and converging from the center of the beam toward the ends thereof, brake heads projecting forwardly from remote ends of said coplanar webs, and guide lugs projecting outwardly from remote ends of said coplanar webs.

5. A railway truck brake beam comprising upper and Y lower webs defining a 'tranverse opening adjacent one end of the beam, coplanar webs merging with and interconnected by said upper and lower webs, front and rear reinforcing -anges extending along the front and rear` edges of said webs and converging froml the center of the beam toward the ends thereof, and a vertical wall extending between said upper and lower webs adapted to support a power :cylinder within said opening.

6. A railway truck brake beam comprising upper and lower webs deiining a transverse opening adjacent one end of the beam, coplanar webs merging with and interconnected by said upper and lower webs, front and rear reinforcing flanges extending along the front and rear edges of said webs and converging from the center of the beam toward the ends thereof, and a vertical wall extending between said upper and lower webs adapted to support a power cylinder within said opening, and brake heads projecting forwardly fromy remote ends of said coplanar webs.

7. A railway truck brake beam comprising upper and lower webs dening a tranverse opening adjacent one end of lthe beam, coplanar webs merging with and interconnected by said upper and lower webs, front and rear reinforcing iianges extending along the front and rear edges of said webs and converging from the center of the beam toward the ends thereof, a vertical wail extending between said upper and lower 4webs adapted to support a power cylinder within said opening, brake heads Vprojecting forwardly from remote ends of said coplanar webs, and guide lugs projecting outwardly tfrom remote ends of said coplanar webs. n

8. A railway truck brake beam comprising upper and lower webs defining a transverse opening adjacent one end of the beam, coplanar webs merging with and interconnected by said upper `and lower webs, front and rear reinforcing iianges extending along the front and rear edges of said webs and converging from the center of the 3,107,754 6 beam toward the ends thereof, a vertical wall extending References Cited in the ie of this patent between said upper and lower webs adapted to support UNITED STATES PATENTS a power cylinder within said opening, brake heads pro- Wardly from the beam adapted to support a bell crank lever Within Said Opening 820,778 Great Br1tam Sept. 23, 1959 

1. A RAILWAY TRUCK BRAKE BEAM COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER WEBS DEFINING A TRANSVERSE OPENING ADJACENT ONE END OF THE BEAM, COPLANAR WEBS MERGING WITH AND INTERCONNECTED BY SAID UPPER AND LOWER WEBS, FRONT AND REAR REINFORCING FLANGES EXTENDING ALONG THE FRONT AND REAR EDGES OF SAID WEBS AND CONVERGING FROM THE CENTER OF THE BEAM TOWARD THE ENDS THEREOF. 